Jun 21 2013
Earlier I had done a Kassler brined chicken using cure #1 trying for a little ham flavor in chicken. It didn’t turn out the way I wanted. This time using a tip from Savannah Smoker I used Morton’s tender quick in the brine.
I spatchcocked a chicken and brined it for 24 hours. I also decided to rub the chicken with mayonnaise. I usually don’t like to try two new methods at once. This time it worked out for some super chicken IMHO.
I drained and rinsed the chicken and it went on a rack in the fridge for a few hours before cooking. Just before putting on the smoker I rubbed it down with a light coat of Hellmans mayonnaise and some Penzey’s Galena street rub.
I filled my Smok’n Spices RSI (Reusable Spice Infuser) with 100% apple wood pellets for some added smoke. It gives about an hour and a half of smoke. I was using oak in my Traeger. My smoker was running about 200 deg. on smoke mode P1. I put the chicken on and started easing the temp up.
It took about 15 minutes to get to 275 deg. and a grill level temp of 325 deg. I let it there for another half hour then went to 300 deg. and a grill level temp of 330 deg. I got my hearts of Romaine lettuce ready to go on the grill. I had thawed some Alexia sweet potato fries and they went on the smoker the last 35 minutes. Total cook time for the chicken to breast IT of 175 deg. was an hour and 40 minutes.
I sprayed the cut side of the Romaine with olive oil and charred on my Weber Q100 a couple of minutes; turned and drizzled on some balsamic vinegar olive oil mix and topped with a slice of tomato. I left it on the grill a few minutes. I served it with some shaved parmesan on top.
My plating was not too fancy here but I was hungry and in a hurry! I thought the chicken was the best I had done in a while. The mayo gave the skin a nice color and great taste. The chicken had the slight hammy taste I was looking for and very moist. My wife thought it was extra good too.
In the brine
Ready for the smoker
About done
Ready to serve
Salad
My Plate
Smokin Don
Recipe for Brine
My tender quick chicken brine 1
1 gallon of water
¾ cup Morton kosher salt
2 Tbs. Morton tender quick
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup molasses
2 tbs. soy sauce
1 Tbs. yellow mustard seeds
1 Tbs. dried garlic flakes
1 Tbs. dried onion flakes
1 bay leaf
You can boil this until all is dissolved then cool if you want. I mix in the salt and tender quick and stir until dissolved; add the brown sugar and stir until dissolved and add the molasses and soy sauce and stir. Add the rest of the ingredients. It takes a little stirring but saves time having to cool the brine.
In the right pot this should be enough for two chickens. Weight down the chicken, I use a heavy plate, cover and refrigerate for 24 hours. I pierce the skin all over with a pickle fork to help get the brine in the meat. The first time using this I thought it was good and probably won’t try to tweak it any.
